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I. MAGW.- BOURKE. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WHEELS.

Patented Dec. 19, 1-893.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. I. MAGW. BOURKE. DRIVING MECHANISM FORWHEELS.

N0.,510,882. Patented D60. 19, 1893.

WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

5 SheetsS'heet 3,

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- I. MAGW. BOURKE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WHEELS.

No. 510,882, Patented Dec. 19, 1893.-

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I. MAGW.- BOURKE. V DRIVING MEOHANISM FOR WHEELS. No.- 510,882Patented-Dec.19,1893

5 Sheets-Sheet 5-.

NITED STATES PATENT 0 FFICE.

ISIDORE MAOWILLIAM BOURKE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,882, dated December19, 1893.

Application filed March 28, 1893. gerial No. 468,069. (No model.)Patented in England September 5, 1892, No. 15,883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISIDORE MAOWILLIAM BOURKE, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain and Ireland, residing at 40 Redcliffe Square, London, inthe county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new. and usefulImprovements in Driving Mechanism for Wheels, (for which I have obtaineda patent in Great Britain, No. 15,883, dated September 5, 1892,) ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of wheels.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectionalplan; and Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation, showing one form of thedevice. Fig. 4 is an elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan; and Fig. 6 is a partelevation, showing a modification of the device. Fig. 7 is an elevation.Fig.8 is a sectional plan; and Fig. 9 is a part elevation, showing asecond modification of the device. Fig. 10 is an elevation; and Fig. 11is a sectional plan, showing a third modification of the device. Fig. 12is an elevation; and Fig. 13 is a sectional plan, showing a fourthmodification of the device.

Fig. 1 represents the combined mechanism for driving and for obtainingelasticity; the axle or axle box a is provided with four collars ol andthe hub 12 is made of a suitable diameter and provided with flanges totake the spokes; inside the hub brackets e are fixed and the springs care attached to the brackets and to the collars 01 upon the axle or axlebox.

In Fig. 2 two series of springs c, c are shown, each series beingarranged in a star form around the axle and the springs constitute theelastic medium. The driving mechanism is similar at each end of the huband consists of a plate e keyed directly to the axle or axle box a andfree to slide upon a cross frame f and to drive it. The frame f is freeto slide upon a rigid cross frame g which is itself firmly attached tothe hub 17. It will thus be seen that the axle a is free to drive thehub 11 through the compound frames e f and g while its own positioninside the hub bis determined by the tension and compression of thesprings c, 0'.

Although I have described the apparatus as connected to the axle in theforegoing description it must be distinctly understood that themechanism may be attached to an axle box which rotates around a fixedaxle, andalthough I have shown a slide at each end of the hub it must bedistinctly understood that the slides may be also used inside the hub,that is, resting on the cross bars or other convenient attachment fromthe inside of the hub and in certain cases only one'set of slides on oneside may be used or one set only may be used in the center of the hub.In certain cases, as may be convenient, several slides may be used inany convenient position in, upon or about the'hub and the arrangement ofthe slides may be V shaped or of any other convenient form. In the'wholeof the description which follows it must be clearly understood that inall cases where the attachment of parts is described as being upon theaxle such ,parts may be attached in a precisely similar manner to anaxle box which rotates about a fixed axle.

In Fig. 4. a similar arrangement is shown. The axle a. is provided-withcollars d and the hub b provided with brackets e, and in this case Ihave preferred as before to construct two collars upon the axle for eachseries of springs in order that each end of each spring may be made intothe form of a double eye to permit pivoting and to give more bearingsurface the springs are attached to the axle or axle box and to the hubin a manner such as is represented in the figures.

In Fig. 4 the primary frame 6 is provided with grooves h correspondingwith similar grooves h upon the secondary frame f and the frame f hassimilar grooves J1 corresponding with grooves h in the frame g,- inthese grooves are placed balls 1; and the object of this arrangement isto lessen the friction which would be caused by the arrangement shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3. I prefer to divide one groove of each pair of slidesinto two or more parts and to place one or more balls in each divisionof the groove. Nuts are represented at j which may be used for adjustingthe slides and balls to their proper relative positions, but any othersuitable mechanism may be used. It represents a chain wheel used fordriving the axle a. In this case also the slide or slides may bearranged in the center of the hub instead of outside, and one, two ormore such combinations of slides may be used in each wheel. Theattachments of the springs and slides may be made as before to the axleor to the axle box.

Fig. 8 shows a precisely similar arrangement to that illustrated in Fig.5, so far as the springs are concerned.

The driving mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is the same at each end ofthe hub and consists of a double ended lever Z keyed directly upon theaxle a, and provided with two rollers m, m. These rollers are free tomove upon the secondary frame 71 provided with two rollers m and m Theserollers are free to move upon the third frame 0 which is attached to thehub b. The frame 72 is formed with a fork at each end, as shown in Fig.9, in order to carry the rollers m and m and the movements of the axleand of the several frames are precisely similar to those previouslyalluded to. As before, the driving mechanism and the springs may beattached as shown to the axle or may be attached to an axle box whichcan rotate freely about a fixed axle, and the driving mechanism may beplaced at each side of the hub as shown or at one side only or in thecenter of the hub and one, two or more such driving mechanisms may beused for each wheel. In these figures ball bearings may be used insubstitution for rollers, and it is obvious that a recess must beprovided for the balls to work in.

InFig. 11 the arrangement of the springs is precisely similar to thatalready described but the driving mechanism is difierent. This mechanismis the same at each end of the hub and consists of a boss 0 keyeddirectly upon the axle a and provided with four tubular arms 2). Eacharm 19 has a second tube 19' and and the tube 19 a third tube 19 Eacharm has in this way a telescopic action, and a frame (1 consisting offour bars attached together at the corners forms a rigid structureattached to the hub 19. The tube 19 is of T form and is free to slideupon the bar q. Each tube is provided with a stop or pin 19 ,19 whichprevents the telescopic action exceeding acertain amount and slots arecut in the tubes through which the stops p and 19 pass. The movement ofthe axle inside the hub is precisely similar to that previouslydescribed. The springs and the telescopic driving arrangement may beattached to the axle as illustrated or to the axle box. Instead of fourarms, two, three or more may be used and the driving mechanism may beplaced at each side of the hub or in the center of the hub and one, twoor more driving mechanisms may be used for each wheel. Instead of thefour telescopic slides shown in the figures telescopic slides fittedwith ball bearings may be used; these ball bearings would be applied tothe slides upon which the tubes run.. Hinged or pivoted rods or chainsso made that they cannot bend laterally may be used instead of thetelescopic arrangement.

All the previous drawings apply to an axle which is to be driven direct.Figs. 12 and 13 however show a method of applying the invention to anaxle which is not driven directly, for example, to the front wheel of asafety bicycle or an ordinary carriage. q, q represent the forks whichsupport the axle which in this case is turned down in the ordinarymanner to receive ball bearings. An outside sleeve then becomes thecounterpart of the axle a in the previous cases and receives a collar clfor the attachment of the springs c. The hub b is precisely similar tothose previously described. The driving arrangement is the same as thatshown in Figs. 5 and 6. The frame 6 is keyed direct upon the sleeve 5and is free to slide upon the cross frame f which itself can slide uponthe frame 9.

In Figs. 12 and 13 although the attachment of the driving mechanism andof the springs is shown to an axle box, it is to be clearly understoodthat the attachment may be made direct to the axle. For the sake ofclearness the fork and ball bearings are not shown in Fig. 12.

The particular forms of spring represented in the various figures arethose which have been found most suitable, but it is obvious that otherforms might be used without changing the general arrangement of themechanism.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a wheel, the combination, with a hubring, a center portion-such asan axle-inside the hub-ring, and springs interposed between the saidcenter portion and hub-ring; of a slide secured to the said hub-ring,aslide secured to the said center portion, and an intermediate slideoperatively connecting the two aforesaid slides, whereby the hub-ringand center portion are rigidly connected both circumferentially andlaterally and are free to move radially with respect to each other,substantially as set forth.

2. In a wheel, the combination, with a hubring I), a central axle a, andsprings c interposed between the said parts; of the slides g secured tothe hub-ring, the slides e secured to the axle, and the intermediateslides f operatively connecting the two aforesaid slides, whereby thesaid hub-ring and axle are connected rigidly both circumferentially andlaterally and the hub-ring is free to move radially of the axle,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

ISIDORE MAGWILLlAM BOURKE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM K. CANDZL, ARTHUR WOODMAN.

